We were really pleased to see photos of the new computer room at Bakau Newton Lower Basic School in The Gambia. This is the result of funding via an Educational Project grant given to UK charity Affecting Real Change. The lab has been named the “Hazel Scott Aiton Memorial Computer Lab”.
Our Educational Project grant funded the transformation of an old pavilion into a fully functioning computer room at Bakau Newtown Lower Basic School. This involved installation of over twenty computer stations, electricity and security with locking door and windows. Affecting Real Change also added an overhead data projector for the use of staff and students.
20 classroom teachers have been trained in the use of ICT in the classroom. These teachers will complete trickle-down training. That will ensure all teachers in the school will have a basic understanding of how to use ICT in the classroom. In addition, the school is in the process of hiring and training a specialist computer teacher to run weekly computing and ICT lessons for students.
Future plans for the computer room could include community computer classes outside of school hours. This would allow older members of the community to learn valuable ICT skills that could help them find employment.
About the school
Bakau Newtown Lower Basic School was establish in the year 1981 by the community of Newtown. They built the School on their own as an annex to Bakau School, as there were not enough classrooms to cater for the needs of the growing population. It is a “Tesito School.” Tesito is a local Mandinka term which mean “self reliance.”
The school currently has a roll of 2,234, twice the roll of the original Bakau School. Capacity issues mean the management team are not sure where to put the new intakes for this coming registration for 2016-2017 academic year.
About Affecting Real Change
Affecting Real Change is a grass roots charity that works within local communities in the developing world. They work within The Gambia and India to create change at education, social care and health organisations. With permanent offices in the UK, India and Africa, they are able to monitor projects ensuring sustainability in everything they do.
